


Color and Style

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Bars and Pubs, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Underwear, clients
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23232010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Cormoran and Robin are on a boring surveillance job in a pub
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	Color and Style

**Author's Note:**

> Since we can't go places, let's send our favorite detective pair out and about.

It started out as a harmless way to pass the time on stakeout.They were in a pub, following a man whose wife thought he used the time he claimed to be in a pub playing darts with his friends to pick up women and have sex with them. 

It seemed highly improbable to Strike.Where would he take women for a quickie?There were no hotels or motels in this part of town.He’d have to take them to a deserted park or a dark alley.Although that might appeal when you were eighteen, their quarry was in his 50s.Even if he got off on outdoor activities, wouldn’t the women involved want something a bit more comfortable?Robin had shrugged and pointed out the wife was paying to be certain, so now they were sipping at their drinks, pretending to be on a date. 

Their target was a gray haired man, short but muscular, a prime favorite with the regulars in the bar it appeared.He had joked with a great many people when he first entered the pub and headed for the bar.The blonde barmaid pulled him a draft without his even asking, he gave her a big smile and headed for a table full of men and women over near the fireplace.Robin and Strike could see him well from their table, thankfully.Robin sipped at her white wine while Strike checked out who the target was talking to.There didn’t appear to be any specific women in his sights.He was joking with everyone, men and women.He had just arrived, though.One thing that supported the target’s story was the darts board hanging to the left of the fireplace. 

They likely had at least three hours of surveillance in front of them as the target was usually down at the pub for three or four hours each Friday night.So Strike got a menu from the blonde barmaid and took it back to their table.He and Robin studied it.She decided to order the chicken with leek pie while Strike went for the steak and mushrooms with chips on the side.While they waited for the food to arrive, Strike got them a refill on their drinks from the busy barmaid. 

When he brought their drinks back to the table, Robin updated him on their other client, an office manager who thought that one of his staff was stealing from petty cash.Robin had been brought in as a temp for the week, just to keep an eye on the staff member the manager suspected and to also watch everyone in general in case the thief was someone different.It had been a boring week for Robin, who had spent a lot of time answering phones and typing letters, but she told Strike it also brought home to her how much she loved her job.“If I hadn’t been sent to you as a temp, I might be trapped in an office like this one permanently, certainly if Matt had any say in it!”Robin had been separated from her husband for eight months now and had started divorce proceedings.Strike was privately very glad of it.He’d seen how marriage to Matthew had eroded her health and self-esteem.They toasted her career between forkfuls of good food. 

Strike offered to get them more drinks.Robin told him to make hers a soft drink as two glasses of wine was enough for now.He decided she was right to cut back so he got himself an alcohol-free lager from a new barmaid, a brunette, who told him she’d just come on duty for the Friday rush hour.“My husband’s the publican so I work the bar on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Back at their table, Strike ate the last of his chips and sipped at the new lager, which was ok, a bit watery, but not tasteless either.Robin toyed with her ginger ale.If they’d been in the Land Rover for the stakeout they could be doing the crossword or reading a book. But in the pub they had to be convincing.So Robin took Strike’s hand, leaned toward him and said, “What sort of underwear do you think the barmaids are wearing?”

“What?” was his answer.

“You heard me.It’s a game my brothers and I used to play when we were stuck at some grownup party with our parents and forbidden to go outside and play.So what underwear are the barmaids wearing?”

Strike grinned at her and squeezed her hand in reply.“The blonde has blue nylon matching knickers and bra while the brunette is in cotton briefs and a white cotton bra.” 

“Why?” Robin asked.“Because the blonde barmaid is divorced or single and still looking, but the brunette is the publican’s wife just working during the weekend rush.” 

“Makes sense,” Robin answered.“How about our target—boxers or briefs?”

Strike studied the man who was now buying a round for his entire table.“I’m guessing briefs.He’s the buttoned up sort, reminds me of a major in a regiment I interviewed during an investigation.Very by the book guy, the same cold blue eyes, self-centered and quite controlled.” 

“How about the couple at the table next to us?”

Strike studied the young man and his date.They looked to be less than 20, the pair of them.“The guy is likely boxers and his date is going to be in something cheap but decorative.She’s looking to score later tonight, I’m betting.” 

Robin grinned at him.“What about Matt?”Strike thought this was getting a bit personal but he was willing to play along if it would keep Robin smiling.“Definitely briefs which his mother purchased for him.Too mama’s boy for boxers, that one.”Strike noticed that their target was headed for the men’s room.He saw Robin was also following him with her eyes.“Excuse me for a bit. I’m going to the bathroom, ok?”Robin nodded, understanding what he was doing perfectly.“Want me to get you another ginger ale on my way back?”She nodded again and went back to people watching while Strike headed toward the hallway that had the bathrooms opening off it.

Strike went into the men’s room, only to find it empty.He thought a second and then stepped back out into the hall. He opened the door to the smaller ladies, which was also empty.Frowning he looked around the hall.There was a third door labeled Office but that was it. There was no exit from here.So he took a deep breath and gently tried the Office door.It opened silently for him and he found his quarry, busy having it off with a lady.Shutting the door equally quietly so he’d stay unobserved, Strike headed back to the bar where he found only the brunette serving.“Where’s the other barmaid?” he asked after ordering Robin’s ginger ale.

“Smoke break,” was her answer.“She’ll only be a minute.”She looked him up and down, obviously wondering if this was the other barmaid’s newest flirt, but handed over his ginger ale.

Strike headed back to their table and told Robin in a low voice what had happened.She pulled out her phone and pretended to check it while they kept an eye on the bathroom hall.Sure enough, the target appeared in about ten minutes, looking pleased with himself, following a minute later by the blonde barmaid.Robin got good photographs of both.The target went back to his friends and apparently suggested a game of darts.

Still at their table, Strike finished his lager while Robin drank her ginger ale.“Do you think this is enough for tonight?” Robin asked.Strike nodded.“We can come back next week and see if this is a regular thing.By the way, I was right about the blonde barmaid’s underwear, the bra at least.Blue silky thing, probably nylon.No sign of her pants, though.The target’s briefs were around his ankles.”Robin grinned at him, put down her glass, gathered up her purse and phone, and headed for the Land Rover, Strike behind her.As she started the engine, Robin looked at Strike and said, “Boxers definitely.”He raised one eyebrow at her and said, “Silk bikini pants with matching pastel bra.”

Robin said, “Only one way to find out.Loser has to make breakfast tomorrow morning.”Then she drove them both back to Strike’s flat.

**Author's Note:**

> For the record: Navy blue boxers and silk bra and tap pants in mint green.


End file.
